Baking
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Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
With a scarlet cranberry filling and a golden top studded with coconut and chunks of chocolate, these layered cookies are as pretty as they are delicious. Bake them like cookie bars then use cookie cutters to create shapes of various sizes. On the plate this gives the same effect as ornaments on the Christmas tree. As everyone plucks their favorite from the tray, replace them one by one for a dessert plate that flickers before everyone’s eyes. Ingredients Cranberry Filling 1 ½ cups cranberries ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup water 2 tablespoons Cointreau 2 tablespoons cornstarch Cookie Bar Base 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened flake coconut ⅓…
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Onion Jam Tart with Cheddar Crust
Jammy onions require a crust that can stand up to their bold flavor, which is how this recipe came to be. Packed with sharp cheese, the cheddar pastry may remind you of a cheese straw. In fact, the whole tart may remind you of your favorite parts of a cheese board, where you often find balsamic onion jam, sliced fruit, and, of course, a perfectly sharp cheddar. Thinly sliced apples and pears top off the sweet and savory goodness before it heads to the oven. As an appetizer, this tart can certainly take the place of a cheese board or accompany charcuterie. For lunch, it pairs well with a simple…
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Carrot Cake
Whipping up this dessert involves an extra step that takes traditional carrot cake to new levels of deliciousness. If that isn’t enough to tempt you, consider that it adds yet another wave of scents that will overtake your kitchen in the best way possible. A knock on the door while this was in the oven led to being asked what seasonal candle I was burning, but the answer was simple: I’m just baking. In a season of bubbling fruit pies and pumpkin everything, this carrot cake overtook everyone who enjoyed a slice with its scent and flavor. Traditional favorites with a twist remind us of the warmest food memories while…
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Maple Pumpkin Crumble
Satisfy your autumn cravings with a new take on the seasonal fruit crumble. The crumb layer that tops this maple pumpkin dessert is tasty, generous, and made without a bit of butter. As for the filling, it’s sweetened only with maple syrup and much lighter than a traditional pumpkin filling. If you’re like me and enjoy sweets on the regular, seasonal crumbles are probably high on your list of go-to desserts. From time to time, they need a little shake up though. That’s where the olive oil based crumb and lighter approach to pumpkin come into play. As you know from my chocolate chip olive oil muffins and some dessert…
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Strawberry Muffins
Cherished as a herald of summer, ripe local strawberries have long been a sign of the changing season. Their stains often match the deep pink color of evening sky outside the window while I bake. If you head outside on the right June evening, that sky will also feature the year’s Strawberry Moon, so-named by the Algonquin tribes who used the month’s full moon as a sign to gather plump wild strawberries. Enjoy the spectacle with one of these treats in hand, and eat one again the next morning. Every strawberry season needs a standout recipe that justifies another haul of fresh berries. Ingredients 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries 1…
